The Writer's Compass » About Writing
New Year’s Approach to Writing
Donna Renzulli, author of the children’s book “Dangerous Reading,” posted an interview with me on her blog “A Writing Primate” as an inspiration for New Year’s resolutions for writers. http://awritingprimate.com/2011/12/30/nancy-ellen-dodd-author-of-the-writers-compass/. Below are the questions she asked: Tell us what you mean by developing a “mind-set” for writing, and how important is it to the creative process? You equate story-telling with building a house: foundation, adding structure of walls and roof, the flooring, painting and adding designer touches. Elaborate for us … Read entire article »
Filed under: Becoming A Writer, About Writing, The Writer's Life
More on Writing Hooks
A key element of the hook is letting people know what your story is going to be about, giving them an idea of what you want to say. This comes in two forms: the theme or the dramatic question. You can say something through a narrative comment or through the voice of one of your characters that in a phrase gives the reader an indication of what your story will be about, the theme. The … Read entire article »
Filed under: About Writing, Writing Exercises
More on Creating Characters
Mike Angley, award-winning author of the Child Finder Trilogy interviewed me for his blog. Much of the conversation had to do with developing strong characters, as well as some other thoughts I hope you will find interesting. Check out the interview and more about Mike and his trilogy at http://childfinder.us/?p=3822. Also, if you missed it, be sure to check out Sylvia L. Ramsey’s “Thoughtful Reflections” blog with our interview at http://wwwthouhtfulreflections.blogspot.com/search?q=dodd. Sylvia has some interesting questions … Read entire article »
Filed under: Becoming A Writer, About Writing, The Writer's Life
A Creative Tool For Developing Business Stories
Lou Hoffman invited me to write a guest blog for “Ishmael’s Corner.” The blog is a writing exercise to help people in business with idea generation using a story development technique. Check out the exercise and the blog at http://www.ishmaelscorner.com/2011/12/07/a-creative-tool-for-developing-business-stories/. … Read entire article »
Filed under: About Writing, Writing Exercises
Article in Writers Digest
Be sure to check out my article, “Put Your Novel On The Map,” in the Writers Digest magazine January 2012 issue. The article has an interesting graphic representing a structure map and access to a free map Writers Digest created as a giveaway. … Read entire article »
Filed under: The Story Map, About Writing, Writer's Digest
The Short Story Ending
Writing short stories poses unique challenges. How do you tell a story that is engaging, in fewer words, with less room for character development? One of the key elements to writing a great short story is ending the story with an impact, a punch, something that brings it home as to what the story is all about. In other words, a moral to the story, an answer to a dramatic question, or a dramatic question that … Read entire article »
Filed under: About Writing
The Rats Ate My Posts – Ending with a Hook
I apologize for not updating in so long. Last May our lives started going haywire, not the least of which was a rat falling through the open window screen in my bedroom onto my head as I slept in the dark of early morning. Yeah, everyone has that reaction. I woke up feeling like I was in a Stephen King novel. Let me just say, it got worse from there. My friends call the events … Read entire article »
Filed under: The Story Map, About Writing, Writing Exercises
Now Available on Kindle
Yeah! The Writer’s Compass is now available on Kindle at http://www.amazon.com/The-Writers-Compass-ebook/dp/B005G4W0UI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1312640245&sr=8-2. Thank you Dale Blee for letting me know it was available. It should be up on other eBook formats soon. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Table of Contents, Introduction, About Writing
Finding Ideas: Where are they when you need one?
Actually, they are everywhere, it’s just that sometimes we are too focused on the immediate to see the potential. When our minds are filled with paying bills and making ends meet or job stresses, home stresses, family stresses, or school stresses, it can be difficult to look objectively or creatively at the world around us and see the stories strewn haphazardly about. Ideas come from strong emotions and feelings, from inspiration like paintings or music or a … Read entire article »
Filed under: Becoming A Writer, About Writing, The Writer's Life, Writing Exercises
Amazon Reviews
If you want to know what others think about The Writer’s Compass, there have been a couple of great reviews posted on amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/Writers-Compass-Story-Finished-Stages/product-reviews/1599631970/ref=cm_cr_dp_all_helpful?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Introduction, About Writing
Dialogue, Pacing, and Tension
How much dialogue should be used compared to how much narrative or exposition? In stories, the more dialogue and the less narrative or exposition, the faster the pacing. This is one of the reasons that action shots in a screenplay should be shorter and in a play there should be very little to nothing between lines of dialogue, in these forms the story should be a fast read with just enough imagery for the reader to visualize … Read entire article »
Filed under: The 7 Stage Process, About Writing, Writing Exercises
10 Tips for Home Schooling
Since two of my daughters home school, one with a child old enough to use The Writer’s Compass as a tool for teaching creative writing, I though it appropriate to create “10 Tips for Home Schooling.” Although I teach creative writing at the undergraduate and graduate level, I believe that this book is useful to students at the high school and junior high level and some of my methods may be useful for you to use … Read entire article »
Filed under: About Writing, Uncategorized
Knowing What You’re Writing About
Some of us start out knowing we have a message, something important we want to say about life or an issue or the world or society. Sometimes we have an idea from an event or a painting or music that inspires us to write, but it takes awhile to really understand what it is that we would like to say. And sometimes what we want to say changes as a story progresses–it may become more … Read entire article »
Filed under: About Writing
Finding True North
Drawing by Jamie Hansen. When I started writing, I wanted to figure out for myself what I was missing and what I was doing wrong. I figured a good writer shouldn’t always need to rely on feedback from others to get the story right. Not that feedback isn’t extremely helpful, sometimes you really need outside objectivity. The problem was in relying too much on outside feedback. How do you know when you have it right? You don’t always. And … Read entire article »
Filed under: The 7 Stage Process, About Writing
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